National Energy Board Suspends Hearings Into Energy East

A demonstrator confronts Montreal mayor Denis Coderre during the National Energy Board public hearing into the proposed $15.7-billion Energy East pipeline project in Montreal on Aug. 29. The Canadian Press/Paul Chiasson

MONTREAL—All future National Energy Board hearings into the Energy East pipeline project will be suspended until the board rules on motions demanding two panel members resign, the federal agency has announced.

The board received the motions after a news report revealed the two members met in early 2015 with ex-Quebec premier Jean Charest, who was at the time a paid lobbyist for TransCanada, the company behind the project.

“Given that the board has invited written comments by Sept. 7, 2016, on these motions, the board will not proceed with further panel sessions until it reaches a decision,” it said in a statement.

NEB panel members are supposed to be independent and are tasked with overseeing the public hearings and preparing a final report for Parliament on whether the government should go ahead with the project.

Coderre, who has come out against the pipeline, suggested strongly the NEB review process had the perception of bias.